9.13.2021 Special School Committee Meeting - Superintendent Goal Setting

The Fall River School Committee convened a special meeting on September 13, 2021, to review and discuss draft district and superintendent goals for the 2021-2022 school year. Following opening remarks from a 21-year-old resident who urged the committee to prioritize preventative school maintenance, HVAC oversight, and civics education, Superintendent Maria Pontes presented the draft framework. The goals were aligned with Massachusetts Department of Elementary and Secondary Education (DESE) regulations, covering student learning goals, professional practice goals, and district improvement targets.

Committee members provided extensive feedback across several areas. On student learning and attendance, members pushed for quantifiable targets rather than general metrics, advocating for attendance to be established as an independent, high-priority goal with school-by-school accountability. Regarding special education, members requested specific baseline data to benchmark a proposed three percent increase in inclusion and sought a comprehensive review of autism spectrum programming. Discussions on student pathways included pre-K expansion, early college pathways, the rollout of the dual-language program at Viveiros Elementary, and the transition from the elementary GATE program to middle school honors tracks.

Facilities and operations were also heavily scrutinized. Updates were provided on the Phase 3 demolition of the old B.M.C. Durfee High School to prepare for athletic facilities, roof replacement at PARES, and parking lot renovations. IT Director Scott addressed the district's one-to-one Chromebook initiative, clarifying that while the district has enough devices for its roughly 10,000 students, about 3,000 older devices require maintenance or retirement as part of a formal lifecycle program. Members also urged stronger, measurable goals for recruiting and retaining a diverse educator workforce reflecting the student body. No formal votes were taken, and the superintendent committed to revising and consolidating the draft goals based on member feedback.

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